


we all want, we all need fashion

by thesmallestfry



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, Junoverse | Juno Steel Universe, Other, Post-Season/Series 02, mag mentions are brief but the whole thing is brief so-, man in glass spoilers, me projecting just a littleee bit, ohh boy tags are harder than i realized
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24067345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesmallestfry/pseuds/thesmallestfry
Summary: "How a man dresses is important in our line of work Pete. You have to have control of yourself, down to every last button and thread. There will always be some element of the situation you can't control, and you can’t let any aspect of yourself be one of those rogue factors."-how a lesson from Mag leads to Peter Nureyev being the best dressed and most repressed man in the galaxy
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Comments: 16
Kudos: 74





	we all want, we all need fashion

**Author's Note:**

> title from Fashion by Jon Bellion, which is a *peak* Peter Nureyev song that very much inspired this fic

_"How a man dresses is important in our line of work Pete. You have to have control of yourself, down to every last button and thread. There will always be some element of the situation you can't control, and you can’t let any aspect of yourself be one of those rogue factors."_

Each item in Peter Nureyev's wardrobe has a purpose. In fact, if he's being honest, it feels more like an arsenal than a closet most days. Each satin blouse or corseted jacket is another weapon he can utilize against a subject, can use to protect himself. Just like his aliases, each outfit is created with an intent. Whether it is to make him stand out or blend in, to seem noble or uninteresting, each look is a mask, carefully chosen so that he will be perceived exactly as he wishes. Be it a temporary ally or an obstacle he needs to get the better of, Peter knows how to make the impression he needs without needing to say a word. There are times where Peter cannot afford to be underestimated or understated; if he wants to live, no, to _survive_ , he must be someone who cannot be seen as anything less than capable, or desirable, or trustworthy. His clothing is the first impression he can give, and each second in any given encounter during a job could make the difference between success and failure, life and death.

Peter Ransom does not intend to let the crew of the Carte Blanche ever see him undone. There's an image he wishes to maintain, an image of a put together man. A man with precise, sharp edges and no margin for error. Peter Ransom is an asset, a strength the Carte Blanche can't afford to lose. Nureyev can’t let them see that it is in fact he who cannot lose them, not if he wants to repay his debts before it’s too late. So, his plan does not change, even when Juno arrives to the Carte Blanche, looking somehow both hopeful yet terrified, his feelings openly on display in a way Nureyev’s never would be. As he sits atop the Ruby 7, his words come out precisely as he wants them to, familiar but with an edge unique to Ransom— a sharpened edge accompanied by an even sharper smile.

_(Hello, Juno. It's been awhile.)_

In his wardrobe that’s already aboard the Carte Blanche, there are things Ransom never intends for the rest of the crew to see. The soft yet tattered pants he wears after a long day, unflattering but warm enough to keep him comfortable on the cold ships he finds himself on between missions. The small black headband, much too plain and unattractive for use in any other context, that keeps his hair out of his face as he applies his makeup or washes it off. The large poncho-like sweater in the style that reminds him of Brahma, in the color Mag always used to wear. The jacket he wore as Duke Rose, tucked away in a back corner so he can pretend he was strong enough to get rid of it entirely. These are personal affects, small in number but undeniably Nureyev, not anyone else. (Not anyone worth staying for anyway.)

The last person to see Peter Nureyev disrobed, skin and scars and bruises laid bare, had seen him and left that very same night while he laid still and just listened. And so, Peter Ransom doesn't plan to let anyone in. He doesn't need them to see him or know him in order to attain his goals. He doesn't need the vulnerability of being seen fresh out the shower after a long mission on an unbearably cruel planet, doesn't need to be seen and judged and rejected. Mag had warned him about this, about how losing control over any aspect of himself would leave him open for failure, for loss, for things he would not be able to process or name. Things he would have to file away for consideration at a much later date. 

And then, on their very first heist on their second day upon that damn ship, Juno Steel ruins his plans again. Juno wears a golden gown, and he is radiant in a way Peter can only dream of being. What makes it worse is that Juno doesn't control his image the way Peter does. He is careless, uncontrolled, uncurated, yet still so beautiful it makes Peter's chest physically ache in a way he refuses to acknowledge. Of course, Juno could wear anything, including that that roughed up old trench coat and scuffed up boots, and still manage to take Peter's damned breath away. Just as he did that night after they escaped the Martian tomb. Peter has seen so much of the beauty the galaxy has to offer and none of it could hold a candle to how astonishing Juno looked then, vulnerable and warm and perfect without even _trying_. Peter doesn't have that same luxury, the luxury of not trying. He needs to be in control, his curated image the only thing keeping him safe, keeping him alive.

Juno wears a golden gown to the heist, but he wears a tattered sweater and gray sweats that same night as he knocks on Peter's door. Juno’s walls are down, and he speaks and bears his wounds and Peter is envious, envious of this lady who is able to not be in control, to wear his imperfection and mistakes right on his sleeve. His sleeve that he tugs at now, pulling at fraying strings as he looks between from it, to Peter, and back again as he awaits Peter's response.

Peter could escape, continue to hide behind the image he chooses to construct. Conceal his true feelings and intentions with the personas and styles he's tailored made for the purpose of keeping himself safe. But he chooses to stay. To disrobe himself for Juno. Let himself be seen, be undone, be Peter Nureyev. He will get to know this new Juno Steel, and let this Juno know him once again, change him once again.

He lets Juno see him, and it's just as important a gift as his name.

**Author's Note:**

> this was my first time posting fic so comments are appreciated! thank you for reading!


End file.
